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American Sign Language and LSQ online videos launched

MONTRÉAL, June 2, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Commission des droits de la
personne et des droits de la jeunesse, as part of disability awareness
week, launched today a series of videos in Québec Sign Language (LSQ)
and American Sign Language (ASL) to help the deaf, deafened and hard of
hearing community, as well as people with low literacy, to access
information to defend their rights.

The 25 videos cover the themes explored on the Commission's website: the
grounds for discrimination, the areas where discrimination is
prohibited, the prohibited practices, youth rights, the mission of the
Commission and how to file a complaint. Information is also provided in
voice-over.

"The Commission is pleased to present these videos with a view to
provide better access to its services. A large segment of the
population will benefit from this information made available in his or
her own language," said the president of the Commission, Jacques
Frémont.

Available on the Commission's website and on YouTube, these videos were
produced in cooperation with Cinéall Production des Sourds (CPS), a
business established in 1999 by Sylvain Gélinas, a Montréal-based deaf
artist who communicates in LSQ and works with interpreters and
volunteers of his community.

ASL and LSQ, which have their own grammatical rules, are often the first
language of deafened or hard of hearing people. In fact, the Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the United
Nations in 2006 and ratified by Canada in 2010, recognizes that sign
languages have the same status as spoken languages.

The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse
(Human Rights and Youth Commission) ensures the promotion and respect
of the principles set out in the Québec Charter of Human Rights and
Freedoms. It also ensures that the interests of children are protected
and that their rights recognized in the Youth Protection Act are
respected and promoted. In addition, the Commission oversees compliance
with the Act respecting Equal Access to Employment in Public Bodies.